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Man Gets Same ‘Neutered’ Tattoo As His Dog, Has No Regrets

CBS Local — A man from Texas says he doesn’t have any regrets after getting a tattoo as a symbol of solidarity between him and his dog. Awkwardly, Chris Mendiola’s new ink, which matches a tattoo on his dog Bear, is actually the symbol for being neutered.

In a Facebook post, the Texas native announced that he was upset that a previous owner had decided to tattoo Bear before the rescue dog was adopted by him in 2010. “It sickens me to know that people actually tattoo their pets. So tonight I got his tattoo,” Bear’s owner wrote. According to reports however, the symbol likely came from a doctor because it’s meant to let other vets know an animal’s been neutered to prevent unneeded surgery. Tattoos like that are also required by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.

To Mendiola’s chagrin, the moment of solidarity with his pet went viral on social media as many people made fun of the apparent gaffe. “That means he’s neutered! My rescue female has one too!!” one person wrote on Facebook. Another added, “Guess you’re neutered Chris.”

Although Mendiola’s tattoo has been widely mocked, he says he actually knew it was the neutered symbol when he got it. “We talked to our vet about the tattoo. I knew what it meant,” the 26-year-old said.

“I knew I was going to get a lot of backlash from it. I did. I got some from my coworkers. I got some from people I thought were my close friends,” Mendiola added during an interview with Gizmodo. “It’s not for them. It wasn’t for them. It wasn’t to humor or please them. It’s for my dog.”